Happy Thursday. 

Honestly, I can’t believe I’m still talking about Charlie Kirk, but his death has been used as such a chilling political tool that it’s all I can really think about. 

Below the paywall: a Miu Miu PR disaster, horrific d4vd updates, the Try Guys update no one asked for, Camp Rock 3 (where’s Demi Lovato?!) and more. Subscribe to the Yapper tier so you don’t miss it. 

I leave you with two fun palette cleansers: a Brat version of “Take a Hint” from Victorious and a YouTube DJ set I’ve been loving. Take care of yourselves! Mwah! 💋

I walked out of a dinner last night to the news that ABC had pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air because of his comments on Charlie Kirk. That news sent a chill down my spine as a journalist because it was such a blatant attack on freedom of speech.

People have gotten disproportionate backlash for some relatively matter-of-fact statements about Kirk in the aftermath of his death. Matthew Dowd was fired from MSNBC for saying “hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions.” Karen Attiah was fired from the Washington Post last week, which she said happened because she paraphrased one of Kirk’s own statements disparaging Black women. Amanda Seyfried had to issue a statement after calling Kirk hateful in an Instagram comment. Anyone who has not given Kirk a glowing, sanitized obit did so at the risk of major consequence. 

Here is what Jimmy Kimmel said that made the FCC threaten to suspend ABC’s broadcasting license: “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it.” (An aside: If you are looking for a good explainer about shooter Tyler Robinson’s online radicalization, the latest Close All Tabs episode is a good primer.)

Much of this response is not really about Kirk, rather his death is just the pretense for advancing the right’s political agenda. The Trump Administration has not been subtle in its attempts to control and stamp out opposing voices. The so-called free speech administration has been anything but. The cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert earlier this year was just the first of many attacks on expression. 

When Colbert won an Emmy just this past Sunday, he said: “I want to thank CBS for giving us the privilege to be part of the late-night tradition, which I hope continues long after we’re no longer doing this show.”

The future of this tradition is in question, as Trump has also set his sights on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers. What do we lose when our late-night shows are threatened? Well, a lot. If affable hosts can’t even make lukewarm jokes about the political climate, what does that mean for the rest of us?

For all the hand-wringing about cancel culture or free speech attacks from right-leaning comedians over the last few years, it is this moment and this administration that will actually chill speech. It is perfectly legal — even encouraged! — to punch down at marginalized communities. But at what cost have we ushered in this culture? The very people who helped humanize and propel Trump into a second term are now at risk if they ever dare criticize his administration. 

Where are these free speech crusaders now? If anyone thinks this doesn’t affect them, they are sorely mistaken. Some are on social media doing crazy mental gymnastics trying to rationalize the decision to cancel Kimmel. But ultimately, they are not “safe” from Trump’s policies, which could take aim at them at any moment. 

Other comedians have recognized this alarming threat and spoken out on Kimmel’s behalf. Mike Birbiglia posted on Instagram: "I've spent a lot of time in public + private defending comedians I don't agree with. If you're a comedian + don't call out the insanity of pulling Kimmel off the air — don't bother spouting off about free speech anymore.” I wholeheartedly agree. 

Upgrade your subscription to read the rest.